5
(Table 1). The community’s agreement on how tourism and conservation of SCAS should be managed yielded an
average Likert score close to 5 (strong agreement). More specifically, the respondents gave an average Likert
score of 4.91 (S.D.
∓
0.35) regarding the conservation of SCAS for the future generations; an average of 4.85
(S.D
∓
0.42) regarding the need to promote SCAS as a new tourist attraction in Lop Buri province, and an
average score of 4.82 (S.D
∓
0.38), regarding the need to managed conservation and tourism simultaneously
in SCAS.
Table.1. Local community’s perspectives about conservation and tourism in SCAS (n= 217)
1
Items
n
Mean
S.D.
1.Should preserve for the future generations
215
4.91
0.35
2.Should promote as new tourist attraction in Lop Buri province
214
4.85
0.42
3.Should co-exist between conservation and tourism
217
4.82
0.38
1
Likert Scale: 1= strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3= neutral, 4= agree, and 5 = strongly agree
The respondents felt that SCAS should be preserved to halt further destruction. The mere existence of
SCAS in their locality has made them feel proud of their heritage, and stated that proper management of SCAS
will give them opportunities to participate in various conservation initiatives, which can further enhance public
awareness about cultural heritage conservation as well as a strong feeling of social unity. SCAS can, therefore,
be instrumental in uniting the people of Sap Cham Pa sub-district, where relevant stakeholders including
researcher s, experts, academicians, and government representatives can work together for a common good.
As a new cultural attraction in Lop Buri province, it can provide additional and alternative economic
benefits at the community level. They all suggested that additional government support is needed for
the development of the site as a tourist attraction. However, they believed that cooperation among stakeholders
is necessary to make this idea a reality. The majority of respondents were in favor of the idea of integrating
tourism and conservation in the management of SCAS, The co-existence of conservation and tourism can serve as
a tool to preserve the cultural heritage value of the site while at the same time creates job opportunities for
the residents.
(c) The values and benefits of SCAS
The respondents had several expectations with regards to the benefits that might arise from developing
SCAS as a tourist destination. Figure.2 summarizes the perceived economic, cultural, and education values
associated with the development of SCAS as a tourist destination.
